Learning Social Customs
by dustytiger
Summary: Garcia is have a New Year's Eve Party with just the BAU team, but why is Reid so grumpy? Pinch hit for the New Year's challange on CCOAC.


Title: Learning Social Customs  
Author: trista groulx aka dustytiger  
Rating: T (same as the show)  
Disclaimer: Pity, I am still a barista and skin care consultant, which means I do not actually own CM and am too poor to sue. CM of course belongs to all kinds of lovely people, it's creator, network, writer, actors, actresses and other ppl that bring the show to life each week.  
Summary: Garcia is have a New Year's Eve Party with just the BAU team, but why is Reid so grumpy?  
Notes: This is my pinch hit for the New Year's Challenge on Chit Chat on Author's corner, the prompts were confetti, midnight kisses, and silly hats, used them all. I saw this prompt was orphaned and I felt the need to make something out of it. I just got a picture of Reid picking confetti out of Garcia's hair, and it took me a while to make it really work. To whoever gave these prompts I hope I made the wait worth. BTW "fluffeling" is a singlet coined by my friends and I in high school meaning to playfully rub a guy's hair, while messing it up, and flirting a tad; a mix of fluffing and ruffling one's hair. (if you don't know what a singlet is google that)

* * *

Penelope Garcia was running around after her guests, which consisted of only the team, handing them all "Happy New Years" hats and noise makers. She sighed when she looked at her boyfriend of six months, Spencer Reid and found him holding the hat she had given him long before their guests arrived in his hands. She went over to him, and placed the cardboard novelty item on his head. He sighed softly.

"See honey, it's just that easy," she assured him.

"I honestly don't understand why you feel the need to wear these ridiculous hats," Reid sighed.

"It's fun Doctor Stuffy Pants, so deal," Garcia snapped.

"I still don't know how you managed to convince me that this was a good idea."

Reid was never much a fan of New Year's eve, and since had struggled with his addiction to dalludid and stopped drinking he liked the holiday even less. Everyone else on the team had a drink in their hand. Usually it didn't bother him to have his friends indulge around him, but he wanted to spend a quiet night alone with his girlfriend. Everyone was but Rossi and Hotch had settle on the couch, and had been talking about work until Garcia came around with the hats and began to playfully tease Reid. It had taken some getting used for the team to accept them as a couple, but everyone was now happy for their friends.

"I can think of a few tricks my girl must know that would make you agree to anything, kid," Derek Morgan laughed.

"I most certainly do, Hot Stuff, but I don't need to use my feminine whiles with my sweet genius," Garcia assured her best friend. "He loves me like I deserve."

"You wound me, and you have no idea how I would have loved you Baby Girl."

"Eww, that so would have been like being with one of my brothers!"

"And being with genius boy is…?" he challenged.

"Oh my dear, sweet, confused hunk of dark chocolate, my man knows his way around a woman. Under all that socially awkward lies sly and sexy fox. I assure you I am a very satisfied woman since finding my way to Reid's bed."

"You do not want her to get into dirty details," Emily Prentiss interjected. "_Trust me._"

"Why does Emily know any details of our love life?" Reid asked, adjusting his party hat for the tenth time since Garcia had placed it on his head moments before.

"You have to know by now that when ladies get together around a cheap bottle of wine it's because they need to talk about their men," Morgan sighed, shaking his head at the young genius. "And by talk about I mean bitch about."

"I have never understood men's social customs; how am I supposed to know what it is women do when they are alone in groups?"

Garcia pinched his cheeks. "That's why I love you, and trust me when I'm with my awesome ladies I never say anything bad about _my_ man."

"It's sickening how sweet she makes you out to be, Reid," Prentiss assured him.

"Just wait until you have babies, then all of that will change," JJ added to the conversation.

"I don't know why everyone seems so worried about my making Reid a daddy. He's a genius, he can figure out kids. Look at how he awesome he is with Henry, yeah I might have to remind him every once in a while that the little guy is two, but he does good."

Reid's cheeks began to flush. "I think this is my cue to refresh your drinks ladies."

"You're so well trained my genius love, but in case you missed the memo it's rude for the hostess to get shlizzled so how about you get something for our guests?"

Reid nodded and headed toward the kitchen with JJ and Prentiss' empty wine glasses, while Morgan went to join his bosses not wanting to get stuck in a hen party. Both JJ and Prentiss couldn't help but notice Garcia's empty glass. She always had a few drinks when she got together with her friends, and they both knew how much it took to get the technical analyst drunk. They hadn't noticed Garcia changing her habits since she had started to date Reid. He always understood it when other people drank around him. Prentiss had noticed he seemed a little distant that night, but she had chalked it up to Reid not wanting to share his girlfriend on a holiday, since they were able to share so few with their work schedules.

"PG, is there something you need to tell us?" Prentiss asked her friend, pointing to the empty glass.

Garcia didn't even realise for a moment that she had put her hand on her belly protectively. She tried to distract her friends, but they both noticed. JJ might not be a profiler like Prentiss was, but she always seemed to know what was going on, sometimes before the team of profilers did. She knew she couldn't keep the truth from her friends, but she hadn't had a chance to tell Reid since he got home.

"Have you told Spence?" JJ asked.

"I'm not even sure yet, honestly," Garcia explained, moving her hand away from her stomach before anyone else noticed. "I was going to take the test but Derek showed up early to see if we needed help with anything. I'm hoping he won't notice that I'm drinking unspiked cocktails this evening. I'll take the test in the morning."

"What do you think the result is going to be?" Prentiss asked.

"I'm almost sure, ladies. Thank gosh Spencer has been out of town so much, he's so intuned to me that he brings me my fave chocolate ice cream that time of the month, but he hasn't realised it's been two months since he's had to."

"You found yourself a good one, are you ready for this?" JJ asked.

"I think so. I want this. It might be early but he's gonna be great. I just hope he doesn't suspect something before I tell him the truth. That would devastate him."

"I think he believed you when you told him that you shouldn't be drunk as hostess, even if he doesn't drink and this is his party too," Prentiss assured her. "We won't tell him."

"I don't think Spencer realises that this is a "we" kind of party, yet. He might know everything about everything else but he really has trouble grasping the nuances of a serious relationship. Besides he seems a little grumpy about tonight's impromptu team soiree. I feel like I haven't gotten to see anyone but him in weeks. He's usually great about team events."

"I bet he has something up his sleeve," JJ laughed. "Spence always gets sullen when he's has an idea in his head he hasn't shared with anyone and the plan change."

"You know you might be right, He has been acting strange – even for him of late. I hope he doesn't suspect my little secret."

"I don't think it's that, and I bet it's nothing to worry about."

Reid meanwhile was in the kitchen, filling the wine glasses. He reached into his front pocket to be sure that the velvet box he had been carrying for three days was still inside. He had wanted to give it to her at midnight but he wasn't sure if she would want the whole team to be there when he asked. He nearly knocked over one of the glasses when he turned around to see who's footsteps her heard behind him. He seemed relieved that it was Morgan standing there.

"Are you okay, kid?" Morgan asked.

"I'm fine," Reid replied automatically.

"You seem distracted. I know that parties aren't really your scene, but this is just the team, Will didn't even tag along with JJ. This should be getting closer to your comfort since zone you are dating a social butterfly after all."

"I am trying to get used to this sort of get together for Penelope, but I thought tonight might be just the two of us. I guess I should have realised when I originally asked her to go on a date with me, that if things had gone well our half year anniversary would fall on New Year's Eve."

"Who celebrates a half year anniversary?"

"I feel six months is something worth celebrating. Most women tire of me after only a month or two."

"Sometimes I wonder what the hell Penelope sees in you, and then you go do something like that, and it starts to make more sense. You two kids are good for each other. You treat he like the princess she is, and she gets you out of the bubble you put yourself in. But that still doesn't explain your jumpy almost grumpy child behaviour tonight."

Reid shrugged. "She deserves to be treated right. She's been hurt too much in the past. Morgan can I ask a favour of you, it's about my behaviour tonight?"

"It better not be anything embarrassing kid!"

"Can you give me a few minutes with Penelope at midnight? I know she'll want to go around and kiss you, even Hotch and Rossi, which I would be fine with if I wasn't planning to propose to her tonight."

"You have to be shitting me kid!"

Reid took the ring out of his pocket. "My grandfather told me it was good luck to propose on New Year's Eve because then you always have something to celebrate with your spouse, even if the past year was difficult, and starting each year on a positive note can only lead to a long happy marriage. He and my grandmother were married for forty two years."

"All right, Reid. I'll help you out with this. Her head is going to explode when you ask her."

"Thank you. I should get back in there. I told JJ and Prentiss I would refresh their drinks."

"What about baby girl?"

"She said it was in bad taste for the hostess to drink too much."

Morgan almost choked on his own drink. "That _must_ be your influence cause she's never cared about being shitfaced at these get togethers before."

Reid left the kitchen with the drinks in hands and delivered them to his friends. As he walked back to the group of women he wondered why Garcia had lied to him. After he had given JJ and Prentiss their full glasses he was about to ask Garcia why she hadn't wanted a second drink when she pulled him toward her into a kiss. Reid was trying to get used to her displays but the tips of his ears still turned red as she deepened the kiss, his train of thought was derailed. Garcia giggled, and rested her forehead on his for moment, running her hand along his face.

"Thank you for doing this, honey," she whispered. "I love you so much."

"I love you as well," Reid mumbled softly.

Reid decided it would be better to avoid the women until later in the night. Garcia had never tried to purposely embarrass him like that before, so he assumed he had walked in on a conversation he should not be listening to. As the night went on he began to enjoy himself even though it hadn't been the evening he had hoped for. He knew that he could trust Morgan to make sure he would be alone with his girlfriend at midnight, and that was the most important part of the evening for him. He wasn't sure he could wait another year to ask her. He was already nervous, and she was already questioning how serious their relationship was.

Garcia was enjoying herself despite not drinking; she would fill her glass up with any juices, and soft drinks she could find, so that no one would suspect she wasn't actually drinking at her own New Year's Eve party. She thought it was interesting to watch her friends' personalities' change as they drank. She finally understood why Reid would still have fun with his friends even when he didn't drink. She could only imagine how fun it would be for a genius profiler to profile their friends as they drank. Everyone was chatting and having a good time as it got closer to the countdown. Garcia turned the TV to one the channels that was showing the ball dropping.

"I don't know about the rest of you," laughed Morgan, and empty beer bottle in his hand. "But I do _not_ wanna see what this one here is gonna do the boy genius when that ball drops."

"Hey!" Garcia defended.

"You two are the only people here who are a couple, it's only fair," Prentiss added, poking her belly jokingly.

"Okay, but when I'm done with my man, the rest of you better watch it!" Garcia warned. "And I do mean all of you."

Garcia took Reid's hand and led him to the other side of the room, while the rest of the team stayed closer to the TV. Reid ran his hand through her hair. She smiled at him, glad that she felt like she was alone with him. She giggled, running her hand along his face, while she held the other one over his head. She had a handful of confetti in her hand. There has been a few pouches in the party supplies, but she had decided it would be cleaner to leave it out of the reason of their friends. She didn't realise he had found her hidden items and had taken a handful as well. Just as she opened her hand to let the confetti fall over his head, he opened his hand and blew some in her face.

"Spencer!" she giggled.

"I guess great minds think alike," he laughed, watching the confetti fall down her body.

"Mm, I guess so, there's something I want to tell you."

"So do I." He gently combed through her hair with his fingers. "You've got so much confetti in there."

She closed her eyes, loving how it felt when he ran his finger through her hair. This gave Reid the chance he needed to get her ring out of the box. Reid gently ran his finger along her cheek and she opened her eyes, smiling at him. He was always amazed at how her eyes sparkled when she smiled at him. He could feel the ring in the palm of his hand, and was starting to get nervous.

"Look who's talking," she laughed, fluffeling his hair with her hand, shaking loose the confetti she had dropped on him.

"I missed a piece," he told her, barely grazing the strand of hair. "Hm, what's this." He opened his head to reveal a ring.

"Spencer, that's the…" she started to tease about his lame coin in her hair joke, then realised he had not been playing with a coin.

"I know it's an easy magic trick, but I'm too nervous to successful make of anything more complicated work properly. Penelope will you marry me?"

Garcia squealed excitedly, which made the rest of the team look in their direction, pausing their count for a moment. Garcia wrapped her arms around him, and pulled him into a huge hug. The team counted down, no one realising that everything had changed between their friends only a few feet away. The second they started to spin their noisemakers Garcia's lips were all over Reid's. He smiled as he kissed her back, glad the team was again paying attention to the screen.

"Was that a yes?" he asked when they finally broke from the embrace.

"Mm, yeah, of course," she whispered, kissing him softly this time.

"I love you so much. Oh, I almost forgot, what did you want to tell me?"

She smiled. "I'm pretty sure I'm pregnant."

"Wow, what a great way to start a new year."

"You're happy?"

"Of course I am. Things are beginning to move a little fast, but that's good."

She ran her hand along his face. "I'm glad you're happy."

"I guess we should tell everyone what's going on, it seems rude that to still be having our own celebration."

"Can we hold off on telling them about our probable baby genius until we know for sure?"

"That's a good idea."

Garcia kissed Reid one last time, before she ran over to Derek, almost knocking him over with a hug, and kissed him on the cheek.

"Someone lit a fire under your as, sweetheart," he laughed. "As much as I love a little sugar, there's a reason you're glowing."

"A very good one," she assured him. "My sweet genius wants to marry me!"

"Congratulations!" Morgan exclaimed, the sentiment was echoed by the rest of the team.

JJ and Prentiss moved closer to Morgan and Garcia, wanting to see the ring. She held out her hand, and both the women stared at the platinum ring with a heart shaped ruby surrounded by two diamonds which Reid had chosen for her. Both of them amazed that their colleague and friend had found something that suited the unique technical analyst so well. The team stayed for about an hour after the ball dropped, before saying their goodbyes. There were a lot of hugs and congratulations, but Reid and Garcia were glad when they were alone again. They wanted to a chance to celebrate their good fortune. As soon as they were alone their lips were all over each other as they headed toward their bedroom.

The End

Notes: I know I could have gone further with this, but I think this was a good place to end it. I love this pairing so much. I'm sure I'll write something else about them when my life gets a little less crazy. Hopefully I'll get the inspiration for a longfic again. As always hugz and hearts to everyone who took the time to read and/or review this, it really does make me happy to know ppl enjoy my writes.


End file.
